Wee But Wise
Wee But Wise
Dr. J. Mike Minnix, Editor, www.pastorlife.com
Introduction
Proverbs 30:24-28:
24 There are four things which are little on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26 The rock badgers are a feeble folk,
Yet they make their homes in the crags;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;
28 The spider skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings’ palaces.
Often the Bible uses objects, animals or various other things as the means of teaching us important spiritual lessons. For example, Jesus told us to look at the birds of the air and consider how the Father takes care of them, and in so doing we can learn how to trust the Lord. Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. In fact, one of the most often used tools used by Jesus to teach us divine truth was that of using elements from nature - things from every day life.
We note that the Bible uses animals as a means of helping us understand our Lord and our faith. In Proverbs we find four creatures used to teach us spiritual lessons. I want us to consider these tonight and comprehend the wonderful blessings that belong to us in Christ. Failing to take seriously the illustrations used in the Bible for teaching us can lead us to miss the blessings that God intends for us to enjoy and to fail in the faith God expects us to maintain in our Christian living day to day.
First, look at …
I. The Ant – Wise in the Preparation Made
Not all ants store food for the winter, since many types of ants hibernate through the winter months, but there are some ants that do store food and eat it during the cold months when food is not available for them. Even the ants that don’t store food in the ground do eat excessively in the fall in order to add fat so they can survive hibernation during the cold months.
The Bible points out that the ant is wise because it prepares for what it knows is coming. The ant doesn’t wile away the summer and fall days, but works to store food and prepare for the judgment to be faced when no food is available. How sad that many people make no preparation to meet God – no preparation for eternity - that some people have less sense than an ant.
In Matthew 25 Jesus told the parable of ten virgins to reveal how important it is to be ready to meet the Lord. The parable is based on the way marriages took place during the lifetime of Jesus. When a wedding was to occur, the bridegroom would gather his friends and walk to the bride’s home. At the bride’s home several things took place as part of the ceremony; then the bride and companions would walk back to the groom’s home. Everyone was expected to carry an oil lamp along the nighttime procession. Jesus told the parable indicating that five of the ten virgins who were supposed to accompany the bridal party had oil in their lamps and were ready for the processional. But, five of the young women were foolish and had not prepared. The foolish girls were left out of the party. They were turned away because they had no oil for their lamps.
Jesus was pointing out that one day we will be called upon to meet God and we are to be prepared for that day long before it occurs. It is foolish not to be ready for something that is clearly taught in the Bible to be coming our way at a time unknown. To be ready, one must come to salvation through Jesus Christ and thus to have the “oil” of the Holy Spirit in his or her life. Be sure of this, you cannot prepare for the coming of the Lord through your own efforts. The point here is that each of us is to have what is needed when the winter of judgment comes our way. The only provision for that coming day is to receive the gift of eternal life through repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). When one does this, there is no fear of the comijng judgment - no matter whether in comes sooner or later, at noon or midnight, the soul prepared is ready to meet God.
Even a tiny ant has enough sense to be ready for that which will clearly come. Winter is coming! Surely, we as human beings ought to be as smart as a tiny ant. Death and judgment are coming. The Bible plainly states that, “…it is appointed unto to men once to die, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27).”
One day the Lord is coming for His people. He will come in the clouds to take us home to live with Him forever. Yet, so many are unready – unprepared. We can be ready or we can be foolish. Make preparation now for the winter of judgment to come.
Note, secondly …
II. The Rock Badgers ‑ Wise in the Protection Found
The rock badger referred to in this verse is an animal that is also called a hyrax or coney. These creatures live among the rocks and crags, and because of this they have great protection from humans and other animals. They are wise because they know how and where to hide.
The Bible refers to the Lord as a Rock on more than one occasion. We read in Psalm 18:2 that believers know God as a rock, a fortress and a place of refuge. We read the illustration of God as our Rock in 1 Samuel 2:2 as well.
The songwriter penned,
“Rock of Ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.”
Indeed, in Psalm 94:22 we read that God is our rock of refuge. In Psalm 46:7 we see Him mentioned as our stronghold.
In Isaiah 28:16, Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:4-8 our Lord is mentioned as a Chief Cornerstone.
Jesus talked about the wise man who built his house upon the rock, rather than building on sand (Matthew 7:24-27). So, you can see that the idea of being in the safety of the Rock of Ages is clearly taught in scripture.
Listen, my friend, it is wise to have a hiding place from the storms that come. There is only one place for your soul to rest at ease and that is in the Lord - the Rock of Ages!
Thirdly, note …
III. The Locusts ‑ Wise in the Partnership Shared
The locust is an insect that is not particularly dangerous, since they hardly ever bite. The truth is that even a biting locust would not injure you greatly and it certainly can't kill you. They are powerful, however, and their power is in the destructive force they create when they unite and fly in swarms over crops and fields. They can literally wipe out the food source of an large area when they are united and in a feeding frenzy. They have been known to pass through an area and leave not a single leafy piece of vegetation behind.
In the Bible, locusts were a plague to the people, often leaving the inhabitants of areas where they swarmed without food and starving to death. One locust is not a problem and a few can’t do a lot of damage; however, a great swarm of them can literally block out the sun like a cloud in the sky. They can eat through every green living thing in sight.
As Christians, God has given us great strength as individuals, but our greater power is known when we are united. Jesus prayed for our unity in John 17:6-26, equating the power of it to His unity as the Son of God to the Father in the heaven. A church with members that are not unified is no threat to the devil and his followers. Yet, a church that is united in Christ, like a swarm of locusts, can tear into the kingdom of Satan.
Look at how Pentecost came about. The people were in one place, in one accord, praying a united prayer (Acts 1:14). Then, when the Spirit of God came upon them and into them, they were in one accord – of one mind!
Look at Psalm 133:1 – there we are reminded of how good and pleasant it is when God’s family is living, worshipping and serving in unity. The very opposite thing happens when God’s people are not in full unity. Worship suffers, joy is missing, power is absent, peace is lost and God’s work in us and through us is diminished when we are separated by disunity.
The devil finds his way in to hinder and harm the Christian and church when disunity is allowed to occur. The Great wall of China is one of the amazing wonders of the world. Part of the wall was begun 700 years before Christ. Eventually all of the old walls decayed, but between 1368 and 1644 AD, the Great Wall was completed. The wall is 3,889 miles long – further than the entire width of the United States of America. It was so thick that no one could possible remove it. Yet, several times invaders were able to get through the wall and attack China. How was that possible? All he enemy had to do was find one guard willing to accept a bribe from the enemy and a door opened in the wall. A single person willing to break unity with the others made it possible for the greatest wall on earth to be breached.
Christians, we must never be guilty of allowing the world to bribe us into opening up a spot in the great wall of our unity in Christ. As long as we are united in the Lord, no one can overcome us or defeat us. Don’t ever be a sellout, or one who opens the door to the enemy. Don't become the cause of friction, harm and disunity in your local church or among your Christian family. Failing to maintain unity opens us up to an onslaught from the Satanic enemy.
Fourthly, we see …
IV. The Spider ‑ Wise in the Palace Occupied
You can stay in the most expensive, elaborate, ornate places in the world and there is one thing you will find there – a spider somewhere on the premises. The spider is an ugly creature, at least to most of us they appear that way. Yet, the spider has the opportunity to live in the nicest places on earth. And, the spider pays nothing for staying in the same place as a king or a president.
Dear friends, you and I are sinners and our iniquities are abhorrent to the holiness of God, but He has given us the privilege to be part of His Kingdom. We are promised a place in heaven with Him. Once we have been redeemed through the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross, we have the deed to place in heaven. And we will not be hanging on the wall somewhere or hiding in a closet like a spider in a mansion, for the King of Glory - Jesus Himself - has promised us a mansion. The believer will not occupy some web in a dark crevice but will live in the presence of the eternal King! What a wise thing for a person to do – to make your reservations for eternity through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the cross.
Conclusion
The Christian is wise in turning to Christ for salvation, for in doing we are judicious like the ant in preparation for winter, astute like the badger who knows how to hide in the rock, prudent like the locust who works in unity, and finally we are intelligent like a spider who gets to live in a place of beauty that is paid for by another.
Are you a Christian? No! Then why are you waiting to come to Christ? It is extremely unwise to wait. Now is the time, the Bible says – now is the time to come and accept Christ as your personal Savior. It is the most sensible thing you will ever do. Your sins will be forgiven through the price He paid. Your life will be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Your death will deliver you into God’s presence. Yes, be wise. Come to Him now.